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Simple Whole Wheat Bread

Simple Whole Wheat Bread

This easy one-rise bread is ready in 90 minutes! It’s soft and perfect for French toast and sandwiches. I also use it to make rolls. Make sure the egg and oil are at room temperature and be sure to aerate your flour before measuring. No mixer? Just mix it in a bowl by hand but knead longer, about 150 turns. (This recipe also works with all white flour) - Jenny Jones

Simple Whole Wheat Bread

Didn't Turn Out? Other Questions?Find Answers Here.

Can I Make It Without The Egg?

I tried it without the egg and the dough was too dry. I suggest you try my Honey Wheat Bread, which is very similar (& quick) but has no egg.

My Dough Didn’t Rise.

Your liquid may have been the wrong temperature. Using an instant read thermometer is the best way to know it’s correct.

Your yeast may not be fresh and should not be used past the expiration date. Even with a good expiration date yeast has a short shelf life once a package is opened. Even with the small packets, once it’s opened, yeast should be tightly sealed and kept in the freezer, not refrigerated.

You used the wrong size pan. Using a larger pan than is noted lets the dough spread sideways instead of rising upwards.

You changed the recipe. It’s important to follow the recipe exactly, paying attention to every detail.

My Dough Was Too Dry.

You did not aerate your flour before measuring. Flour always settles in the bag or container and must be aerated before measuring; otherwise, you will be using too much flour. To aerate flour, using a large spoon or spatula, stir the flour around to incorporate some air.

You measured the flour incorrectly. To measure flour, use a flat-topped measuring cup, gently spoon the aerated flour into the cup until it’s mounded above the rim and level off the excess with the back of a knife. Do not tap the cup or the container of flour.

You used a different flour than stated in the recipe.

My Dough Was Too Sticky.

You used too much liquid or not enough flour. Use a cup specific for measuring liquids, have it on a flat surface and view it at eye level to make sure your liquid is at the correct line.

You sifted the flour before measuring, which would cause you to use less flour than required.

1,173 Comments on "Simple Whole Wheat Bread"

Dan Zimmerman

June 3, 2020 at 6:29 pm

Jenny, I followed your recipe to a tee, including carefully spooning aerated flour into a measuring cup and double-
checking gram weight of flour on a digital scale as well as using an instant read thermometer to ensure warm milk was just the right temperature… My bread did not rise to 1 inch above the (correct size) bread pan in 45 minutes, and is not rising in the oven set to 375 degrees.

I tried 3 times baking this bread and every time failed to get the rise as shown in the video. I changed the yeast, proofing time, measured all my ingredients and even tried one of the recommendations to keep the dough on electric heat (on low) to get decent rise. Each of these times, my dough did not rise 1 inch above the pan rim (didn’t even go above the rim) and comes out as dense. My Pan is 9inch long, 4 inch wide and 3 inch deep.

Taste of this bread is good, so I really wanted this recipe to work. I tried two types of yeast, and both times got very little rise. How can I fix this?

I am a bread novice and sometimes wonder about doing something a little different.
1. If I don’t have quick rise yeast, do I need to proof the other yeast before I add it to the recipe
2. Can I use a kitchenaid dough mixer as oppose to hand kneading it?

I made the Simple Whole Wheat Bread for the first time and it turned out very good. How can I adjust the recipe so I can use a 9 X 5 inch pan instead of the 8 x 4 inch pan? I want to make a larger loaf.

Tried this recipe for the first time last week. Four loaves and a few pounds later…this is the best recipe I’ve found for ww bread loaf. Always perfect! Thank you so much for sharing your videos and recipes!!

This is wonderful bread! Thank you for a well detailed recipe. I don’t have a mixer so I REALLY appreciated the detailed directions (an actual number) for kneading. The crumb was perfect for sandwiches and toast. I don’t think the rest of this loaf will make it till dinner time.
Just a note for others trying to get a good proof… I had a very hard time getting the proper rise on bread in my cool house. Sometimes it would take double the recommended time to get it. My answer: my heating pad. I set my heating pad to the lowest setting, lay it out on the counter, and set the bowl (or pan) on top. I got a perfect consistent rise.

Are the flours used same as Canadian flours, my bun dough never seems to rise as much as yours, same when I use the recipe for the wholewheat loaf,,,,the yeast is newly bought as is the flour,I follow the directions explicitly, no joy

I usually cook dinner every evening and on week-ends dinner parties for friends.
Being 75 and having a number of preconditions I’ve been locked up so to speak.
I now bake every day and give what I make away, bagels to pizza dough. (I’ve gone through 60 pounds of flour.
But this loaf is a keeper!
Stayed tight on recipe and it was fun and delicious.
Thank You.
Not to mention healthy.

Great recipe! I do have a question however. If I want to make multiple loaves can I just double or triple the recipe? My Bosch mixer can handle up to 14 – 1 lb loaves so I would like to bake a large amount once a month.

Thank you, Jenny! I searched a lot of whole wheat bread recipes and decided to make this one. I used my food processor with the dough blade and the bread turned out perfect! Thank you for the recipe and informative video.

😱 This is AWESOME! I made the best loaf! I Am very proud of myself right now. I thank you profusely for your video!!! I followed you to a tee and my bread actually looked like yours! Taaaa daaaaah! Very proud, 🙂
I am excited to try more of your recipes.
Thank you.
Have a wonderful night !

Thank you so much for the recipe. I just took my whole wheat loaf out of the oven but realized I didn’t put any foil on top for the last 15 minutes. It still turned out beautifully, just a little browner on top.
I made the Simple White loaf a few weeks ago and it came out great. I did use kosher salt instead and honey for this whole wheat loaf. Thank you again Jenny!

Great recipe! I followed all the instructions, using honey instead of sugar, but doubled it, and it turned out perfectly! I think this will be our everyday, go-to sandwich and bun recipe from now on. Thanks, Jenny!

Well I hate to be a stick in the mud, but mine did not turn out and I was disappointed. All of my ingredients were fresh, I even watched the video while I was doing it Followed it to a tee. I thought that only 2 tsp. of yeast was a typo at first as I though perhaps a tablespoon, but it was only 2 tsp. Mine did not rise..I let it rise a bit longer as it did not look like yours before you put it in the oven. I don’t know what I could have done wrong as I was so looking forward to this. Any thoughts on where I could have gone wrong?

Hi Jenny..I have been making your whole wheat bread for about 2 months as my husband was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and cannot have a lot of sodium We love the bread ..I decided to double the recipe but forgot to use the same amount of yeast. I doubled it. I only have the dry ingrediencies’ mixed Can you help me out with this, I hate the though of wasting it.
Love watching your videos and have a lot of friends now watching as well

Thanks for your reply…I have another question for you Hear in Ontario we are having a difficult time getting 100% whole wheat floor…someone just told me I can purchase Hard whole wheat flour at the bulk barn…Can I use this in your whole wheat bread recipe…My husband only like your bread so I hope it will work out ..Please let me know
I cant help just laugh every time I see your video of you making this bread and you slap the bread and say WHO’s Your Daddy. Thanks for the chuckles

Thank you for your recipe, the bread is delicious, but I think my crumb was a bit shaggy, sticky.
I’ve searched the FAQs, comments and website, but I can’t find an answer to my question. I think my bread might have been a little underbaked at 195^F internal temperature with an extra 5 minutes of baking.
What internal temperature do you recommend for your Simple Whole Wheat bread?
Alternatively my whole wheat flour might have been a bit coarser than yours as I get it from a small local mill nearby.

Love the easiness of the recipe & bread tasted great! However, I used a corningware loaf pan & didn’t grease the pan. It stuck terribly, so I will grease the pan next time! Also, foil turned outward or inward?
Jenny you are so funny. I love your videos.

Just made your recipe: spectacular! Easy, easy and the results are beautiful! Added benefit: the house smelled fabulous while it was baking! I will be trying your other recipes as well. Wanted to add a picture but didn’t see how to do that. Thank you!

Thanks, Jenny. I tried this recipe because I cannot find bread flour anywhere to make my usual recipe. I did use honey rather than sugar and I did the rise on the proof setting of my quick cooker, which means I made a round loaf. It turned out great.

I’ve been baking bread for years, but was unfamiliar with amount of instant yeast to use, so tried this recipe when I found it. Since the initial great results I’ve tweaked the recipe and used water in place of milk, molasses, added ground flax. It turned out great.

Made the first loaf of this bread today and it turned out great. Since everything is so hard to find right now I really don’t want to use the flour and yeast that I have to experiment so I was wondering if anyone has tried substituting 1/2 cup of traditional rolled oats (not quick or instant) for 1/2 of the wheat flour and using 1/2 cup of the warm milk to soften the oats for about 15 minutes. I tried another recipe for whole wheat oatmeal honey bread (twice = once using instant yeast per the recipe and the next using active yeast) but it did not rise either time the flavor was fine just too dense for our liking. With this recipe (used same flour and same active yeast) it did rise and has a great texture. I did add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the flour mixture but other than that followed the recipe to a tee. Would appreciate any remarks from anyone that may have tried adding oatmeal. If not I’ll wait until yeast and flour are easier to come by and try it.

Just made this bread today. Had never made bread before. This bread came out looking like your picture and the taste is perfect!, Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. Will be making this recipe for family and friends for a long time.

Followed the recipe but used half whole wheat flour and half AP flour by weight. Baked in convection oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Best loaf of bread I’ve ever made. Quickest and easiest too. Thanks Jenny

Another winner, Jenny! This, “no-egg white bread”, and your, “no-knead” breads are our, “go-to” recipes. We’ve searched thru a hundred bread recipes over the last 30 years but no need to search further!

This is the best whole wheat bread I have ever made. I did not have a mixer so I did it by hand until I started to see the dough get a little stringy. I think the key were the precise instructions you gave. For example, a lot of recipes will say “lukewarm “ milk or water. This recipe had precise temperatures, so my yeast activated and I didn’t kill it. Also I realized the importance of putting the dough in a warm place to rise. In my case I have a cold kitchen so I heated up the inside of my microwave with boiling water first and then put the dough in. I think I learned that trick from your website too. Thanks for posting this great recipe.

My first time making this bread … turned out lovely. I followed the video and it wasn’t until later I saw to aerate the flour in the printed recipe. Oopps. Being a new bread maker … my first loaf … I didn’t know this. However, as I was mixing and the additional 1/4 cup of flour was to be added, I noticed that I didn’t need it. Glad I didn’t go ahead and add it. Just out of the oven and it looks beautiful. And, of course, I had to try it … delicious. Can’t wait for toast and coffee tomorrow morning. Thanks for a great, intimidation free, recipe for this new bread maker.

Unless you’re making a dense whole grain bread, all bread labeled whole wheat has white flour. If you don’t want white flour in your bread, use all whole wheat and then call it by it’s proper name…100% whole wheat bread.

I have done this recipe twice and love it. No longer buying bread at stores as this is delicious. Thank you for the video as looked at it several times to ensure I was doing it right. My cousin also made the recipe today but used almond milk. The bread was a success although she said it did not rise as she would have wanted.

Second time making it. By hand, no mixer. Both times I had to add about an additional cup if flour to get it to form a mass and then to knead it without sticking. Very happy with the taste. Doesn’t rise as high, but my loaf pan is a little bigger. This time I added whey protein isolate to see if it would reduce crumbling. Also added hemp seeds and oats. Very dense loaf but still I like it and appreciate your sharing it. Thank you.

I am making by hand as well and add at least a cup of additional regular white flour. Mine has not been very crumbly and I have been able to slice it 1/8 of an inch thin. It is so easy. Can’t wait to try with regular whole wheat. My store only had white milled whole wheat flour. And I only have two packages of yeast left. I have made with both active and with regular yeast. Such a quick loaf!

I bake bread from time to time, but usually with a bread maker, and never with instant yeast before. I only bought it now, because of scarcity. (I’m a creature of habit, my mom always used active dry yeast, so I did too). Now, I’m never going back. I love instant yeast!

This turns out a light, airy loaf of bread with minimal fuss in only 90 minutes. I followed your recipe exactly, using your suggestion of honey, instead of sugar. Seriously, this was easier than my bread machine, and turns out a better textured loaf.

When making the whole-wheat bread recipe, can I substitute the sugar for honey, and add it when mixing in the oils and egg? If so will this then become honey wheat bread? I tried your actual honey wheat bread and it didn’t turn out as light as this recipe.

Thank you for responding so quickly. I did see the honey substitute.. I think what has thrown me off is that your honey wheat recipe is so different from this one. I didn’t know if using this recipe over your other one would still make it a true honey wheat loaf..

I used Traditional Active Dry Yeast (the 227 g jar) and did not mix it using the “directions to proof yeast” as it states on the jar. I just added it in dry using 2 tsp according to the recipe. The bread did not rise on the first 35 minute rise. What did I do wrong – was it something with not proofing the yeast? Help?

I have a love/hate relation with baking bread. So many failures that I gave up for years. Today I thought I would try your recipe since I, like many others, I am sequestered at home. This bread was really easy to make and turned out beautifully! I split the top and drizzled it with a little butter, resulting in a moist, flavorful bread. Thank you, thank you!

Very happy with this recipe! I am trying to minimize grocery trips and use what we have. Had this wheat flour in the cabinet. Found your recipe. This bread will be perfect for sandwiches. Between this and another crusty no-knead bread recipe, I don’t see a reason to ever buy bread again. I won’t need to go to the store for a month! I didn’t have a mixer and just folded 150 times. Turned out great. Thank you for sharing!!!!

Had a hard time finding yeast but my lovely young neighbour found it for me. Made my first loaf 2 days ago and it was so easy and delish, so tonight I made 2, one for my daughter as she tasted the first and loved it and another for me. The first time that you let it sit under a towel to swell, I let it sit on the counter I made it on. The second 35 minute rise in the loaf pan, as my kitchen was rather cool, I did a trick I saw in a magazine, I put it in top on a low heat setting heat pad which worked brilliantly. Each loaf turned out great and I haven’t made bread since high School and I’m 67, this recipe is so easy. I’m going to try Jenny’s rolls tomorrow. My problem now will be finding flour as everyone is making bread.

Gloria, right you are about everyone baking these days and ingredients are so hard to find. Tried every place from Kroger to Publix, from Walmart to Target, from Whole Foods to Fresh Market, no yeast to be found. Found flour at Costco, but finally found yeast somewhere I had never shopped before, Aldi’s. It’s not Fleishmann’s and its made in Turkey! But here goes. Hope mine turns out as well as yours!

I had the same problem finding flour and yeast. I did find both at the local restaurant supply store – since restaurants are mostly closed they aren’t busy at all. I had to buy a larger than usual size (25# of flour and 16 oz of yeast) but that’s ok

Large bags of yeast are the best. I buy 32 oz bags of Red Star yeast from the grocery store, because it is so much cheaper then the jars I was buying. I learned in a cooking class that yeast well wrapped keeps in the freezer for years. Though I bake often, so I keep a little container in my fridge as well and refill as needed.

I should have watched the video before proceeding. I am not a novice baker but the dough is hard. I didn’t add the extra 1/4cup of flour because it was already hard. I used Robin Hood whole wheat and all-purpose flour. I mixed it with a spatula until ingredients were mostly incorporated and then used the hooks on my mixer. I should have added more liquid. It’s now resting for 10 minutes but I think there is no going back. What went wrong?

Lucia: I also used Robin Hood flour and had the exact same problem. Are you in Canada by any chance? The dough looked lovely and soft in the video and mine was hard and difficult to work…no way I could do 50 turns. Also a novice bread baker but I am wondering if there is a difference between Canadian and American flour? Curious.

Hi Jenny, I was looking for a whole wheat bread recipe and came across your video, I laughed so hard when you squished the egg in your cleavage, I shared it with family and friends, we all need a good laugh at this trying time. Thank you Jenny, will be making the bread tomorrow looks really delicious. Keep safe

Jenny, thank you so much for a delicious and very simple to make bread recipe! I made three loaves yesterday. They each came out perfect. It is a very easy to follow recipe and my family loved the bread. Especially hot out of the oven with butter. Yummy! You make baking a fun experience. You are the best. Sending you a rose🌹to say thank you.

Jenny, I’ve been baking bread with success for a number of years, but sometimes my bread will turn out too dense or have minimal rise. Now that I’ve used a number of your recipes I have 100% success. Thanks, I’m going to work through all of your recipes. And, love you videos and your cheeky comments from time to time. Keep up your great work.